Pages

Search Edgaged

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

PD in your PJs

(I know, strange title. I'm calling this "PD in your PJs" because essentially you can participate in comfortable attire. If you prefer to stay in your school clothing, that's up to you.)

One of the most difficult things I've found with being a technology coach is attempting to provide professional development opportunities that meets everyone's needs and schedules. In an attempt to overcome this issue, I am proposing that I move some of my PD opportunities to Google Hangouts.

If you are unfamiliar with Google Hangouts, it is much like Skype. However, you can have multiple people participate and can share your screen with the entire group. In fact, I can even take control of your computer if you need something fixed when you grant permission. (I've actually done this a couple times with East Noble Staff.)

So what does this mean for you? If you are an East Noble employee, I can grant "professional growth points" (PGP) for teachers that participate. I plan on having the sessions last anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. My goal is to shoot for 45 minutes so that a quick "assignment" can be completed as evidence of your knowledge of the digital tool I'm introducing. What if you can't participate the night it is scheduled you ask? No problem because I can also record the session for later viewing. If you watch the session and complete the assignment, you can receive a PGP for participating.

If you are not an East Noble Employee and would still like to participate, I welcome it! Please join me for any topics that I will throw out there.

If you have never used Google Hangouts before, you will first need to activate a Google+ account. You may use your East Noble account to do this. If you would rather use a personal Gmail account, that is perfectly fine as well. Please keep in mind that I will be using: edgaged@gmail.com

Here is how you can access your Google+ account and participate in a Google Hangout:

(Click on the box on the right side to maximize.)

How do you find out about events? For starters, I will post them here. I will also need to send invitations out to those who confirm that you are participating. So please confirm it if you are coming.

I am planning some short sessions (No PGP's involved) for practice. This is an opportunity for you to connect and see if you can get it to work on your computer. I will be online for only 30 minutes. This is just a test, it does not mean you have to be talking to me the entire time. :)